01 — The work
Twenty steps, no shortcuts
Every job follows the same order: the roof, then the walls, then the gutters. Here is what happens at each step.
Roofing
- Tear-offWe strip the old roof down to the wood. No new shingles layered over old ones, so nothing is hiding underneath.
- Deck repairEvery sheet of decking gets walked and checked. Soft or rotted spots are cut out and replaced before anything goes over them.
- Drip edgeMetal drip edge goes on the eaves and rakes. It sends water into the gutter instead of letting it wick back under the shingles and rot the fascia.
- Ice & water shieldA self-sealing membrane runs along the eaves and down the valleys, where ice dams back water up every January. It seals tight around every nail driven through it.
- UnderlaymentSynthetic underlayment covers the rest of the deck in overlapping rows. If a shingle ever lifts, there's still a barrier under it.
- Starter stripA starter course with a factory sealant strip goes down first, so the bottom edge of the roof is glued down against wind.
- ShinglesArchitectural shingles go on course by course, nailed in the manufacturer's nail line with the joints staggered.
- FlashingNew metal at the chimney, the valleys, the garage wall, the porch roof and every pipe. That's where most leaks start, so old flashing never gets reused.
- Ridge vent & capsA ridge vent lets hot, damp air out of the attic. Cap shingles cover the vent and finish every ridge and hip.
Siding
- Strip & inspectOld siding comes off so we can see the sheathing. Damaged boards get replaced now instead of covered up.
- HousewrapA weather barrier wraps the whole house, lapped top over bottom with taped seams. It stops wind and water but lets the walls breathe.
- Window & door flashingEvery opening gets flashing tape, layered so any water that gets behind it runs out instead of in.
- Corners & trimCorner posts and trim go up before the siding. They give clean edges and room for the siding to move through hot summers and cold winters.
- SidingCourses go up level from a starter strip at the foundation, checked as we go so the lines stay straight all the way to the peak.
- Soffit, fascia & gablesVented soffit, wrapped fascia and a gable accent finish the outside. You can try other accents in the designer below.
Gutters
- Snap the lineWe snap a chalk line along the fascia with a slight fall toward each downspout, so water drains instead of sitting in the gutter.
- Seamless runsEach gutter is formed on site from a coil to the exact length of the roof edge. One piece per run means no seams to leak.
- Hidden hangersHangers screw through the gutter into the fascia about every two feet, so the run holds up under snow and ice.
- DownspoutsOutlets, elbows and downspouts carry the water down, and extensions push it out away from your foundation.
- Gutter guardsOptional guards keep out leaves and seeds, so the gutters keep flowing without a ladder trip every fall.
